Methods and apparatuses for detecting a tilt tendency of a vehicle are known from the existing art in many modifications.
German Patent No. 44 16 991 describes a method and a device for warning the driver of a commercial vehicle of a tilt hazard when driving around a curve. To accomplish this, before the vehicle is driven into a curve, the vehicle model and the status data relevant to the tilt hazard are sensed, and the tilt risk and the speed limit governing it are determined as a function of the vehicle center of gravity and the curve radius. A signal requesting a speed reduction is triggered if the current speed of the vehicle constitutes a tilt risk, or if a predefined safety margin in terms of tilt hazard has been breached. The vehicle speed at which a tilt hazard definitely does not exist is determined from a tilt equation. The tilt equation comprises, inter alia, the vehicle speed, curve radius through which the vehicle is traveling, height of the vehicle center of gravity above the road surface, and any imbalance in wheel loads. Wheel loads are ascertained with the aid of wheel load sensors embedded in the road surface. If the vehicle speed violates a predefined safety margin with respect to the vehicle speed lying at the tilt hazard limit, a signal is generated warning the driver of the vehicle of excessive speed while traveling through the curve. The signal indicating the excessive vehicle speed is triggered until the particular measured speed is reduced to a degree which excludes any risk of tilt. In addition, German Patent No. 44 16 991 indicates that slippage of the wheels of the respective vehicle on the road surface can be ascertained and can be taken into account in assessing the tilt hazard.
It is an object of the present invention to improve existing methods and apparatuses for detecting a tilt tendency of a vehicle.